Scandal Unfolds as Public Realizes Who Is Overseeing California Attorney General's Budget

By Richard Moorhead February 19, 2023 at 10:23am

The California Attorney General’s wife is overseeing his own state budget.

California Assemblymember Mia Bonta is slated to oversee the budget of the California Attorney General’s Office after her appointment this month to a budget subcommittee that handles public safety agencies, according to the Sacramento Bee.

There’s a major conflict of interest.

Mia Bonta is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Her role on the committee will give her say in determining how much funding her husband’s state agency receives.

Mia Bonta rebuffed scrutiny from a journalist on the conflict of interest in a heated discussion on Friday.

WATCH: California Assemblymember Mia Bonta refuses to answer questions, won’t say if she’ll recuse herself from overseeing her husband, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s budget:

“There is no violation of ethical rules in my holding this position.” pic.twitter.com/Jrd5UytUKK

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 17, 2023

In reading a prepared statement, Mia Bonta appeared flustered in responding to criticism over the conflict of interest.

CA Assemblymember @MiaBonta’s voice is quivering, she appears out of breath, and she is unable to answer a simple question about an obvious conflict of interest without reading a word for word prepared statement off of a piece of paper. Great reporting, @ZavalaA. https://t.co/aXusQo28Kr

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 18, 2023

The Democrat pointed to her own district’s problems involving gun violence and the “carceral system,” continuing to decline to recuse herself from votes that would determine the attorney general’s budget.

Mia Bonta previously described inquiries regarding the conflict of interest as motivated by “racism and sexism.”

After we shined light on how CA Assemblymember Mia Bonta will lead a state budget subcommittee that oversees her husband’s budget (CA AG Rob Bonta), she blamed “racism and sexism” for the ethical questions raised @EpochTimes https://t.co/sso1gAqtz5

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 15, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom brushed off concerns over the conflict of interest, dismissing the matter as the responsibility of the state legislature.

Exchange between me and Gov. Newsom when I asked him if it’s ethical for Assemblymember Bonta to lead budget committee that oversees her husband, AG Rob Bonta’s budget:

“Thank you for informing me…” pic.twitter.com/h3fIzCPqmG

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 16, 2023

State Assemblyman Devon Mathis, a Republican, criticized the arrangement as unethical.

Assemblyman Mathis weighs in on Bonta situation.

He responded to our CALeg survey on this with a “No, it’s not ethical”

Responses from full CALeg coming later this afternoon. https://t.co/efMk8mYyAO

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 16, 2023

Rob Bonta hasn’t spoken publicly about the conflict of interest.

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